Latinos support marriage equality

It is now one month since the 2012 Presidential election. Aside from the woman’s vote, no group has been more obsessed over than the growing Latino vote. So I was fascinated to read that last month ABC reported,

Nearly six-in-ten Latino voters (59%) said their state should legally recognize same-sex marriage while 32% said their state should not. But among all voters, about half (48%) favored legalization of gay marriage while nearly the same share said they would oppose it (47%). Non-Hispanic whites were the most opposed to states legally sanctioning same-sex marriage (47% favored but 50% were opposed).

On the surface Latinos seem to be a ripe constituency for the Republican Party but based on exit polling this demographic appears to be evolving toward greater acceptance of same-sex couples. This isn’t completely surprising since it also mirrors LGBT advances in many Latin and South American countries.

If true, this is problematic for a Republican Party hoping to gain a larger voter base without becoming more socially progressive.